


Much Too Short And Precious

by TrekBec82



Series: Ineffable Husbands [7]
Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, Ineffable Husbands (Good Omens), Multi, New Year's Eve, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-04
Updated: 2019-09-04
Packaged: 2020-10-09 05:10:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20508332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrekBec82/pseuds/TrekBec82
Summary: As 2029 becomes 2030, the Ineffable Husbands host a New Year's Eve party to celebrate 10 years of angels, demons and humans working together.





	Much Too Short And Precious

**Author's Note:**

> I thought part 7 would be the last - and it sort of is, but it's also sort of not. There's a short interlude, which AO3 will call part 8, but would more accurately be considered part 7-and-a-bit.
> 
> The title comes from War, by Edwin Starr.
> 
> If you'd like to follow me on Tumblr - where I share loads of Good Omens posts and a sprinkling of other things - you can do so at [TrekBec82](http://trekbec82.tumblr.com/).
> 
> You can find the complete playlist on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXBALksKVRE2JwQBLuw1tr020ep1jnS_8) or [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3RnXuaZVojcpH4ahVPh5LI?si=KwphHmItRSSsvmBss_e54Q).

“Angel, get your ass down here, they’ll be arriving any minute!” Crowley shouted up the stairs at his husband, who was likely fussing over something ridiculous - like whether his tie was straight or not.  
“I’ll be there in two shakes of a lamb’s tail!” Aziraphale called back.  
“Make it one shake of a lamb’s tail or I’m coming up there to get you!”  
“No need for that dear,” Aziraphale said, as he exited their bedroom and headed for the stairs, wearing an utterly ridiculous pair of glasses with the zeros of 2030 forming the lenses.  
Crowley still couldn’t quite believe it had been a full decade since he and Aziraphale had helped to avert the apocalypse, become Caretakers, married each other, and founded a team of assorted angels, demons and humans to save the world on a more permanent basis. Yet here they were - happily married, still living in Winchester - about to celebrate the new year by hosting a party for their odd collection of friends.

Aziraphale had hand-written the invitations in his finest calligraphy and sent them out months earlier, and almost everyone had accepted immediately. The billionaires of Hogwarts! (Team Save Earth) * had very politely declined, but it was looking to be quite the gathering even without them. Michael and Haniel were coming from Heaven - Beelzebub and Dagon from Hell. Eric was coming from just next door - Madame Tracy and Sergeant Shadwell from the little bungalow they called Shangri-La. Anathema, Newt and the Them were all coming from Tadfield, and even Warlock was making the trip over from Canada to attend - with his girlfriend in tow! 

Warlock had joined Hogwarts! (Team Save Earth) a few years earlier, after being forced to wait until his 18th birthday to get away from his obnoxious turd-stain of a father. His mother was still a kind woman and kept in touch, but he was much happier living on campus at his university in Ottawa - which is where he’d met Alicia. This would be their first time meeting her, and Crowley hoped she could handle the eclectic assortment of people she’d be shortly introduced to. He didn’t know what Warlock had told her about them, but that was up to Warlock - Crowley trusted the young man he’d become, and was proud of his former charge.

The Them had become admirable young adults also, with all four working through tertiary studies in their chosen fields. Adam was studying environmental science and driving his lecturers nuts with stories about the Kraken and other mythical creatures. Pepper was doing some long-winded thing about Women of History, and quite frankly was likely to join their ranks - she was a force of nature and nothing would stop her. Brian was studying engineering, with a focus on waste reclamation, and fully intended to revolutionise the industry after graduation. Wensleydale had decided on business law, and hoped to go into politics with the aim of drafting legislation that would force recalcitrant laggers into compliance with environmentally responsible practices.

Anathema and Newt had married a year or so after Aziraphale and Crowley, and now had two young children - who would be spending the evening with their grandparents, to give the couple a rare night out without them. Anathema’s mother had not reacted well to the burning of Agnes Nutter’s second collection of prophecies, but Newt had slowly won her over, and she adored little Deanna and Thomas. Newt’s parents had taken to Anathema immediately, were doting grandparents, and had invited Anathema’s mother to stay with them any time she cared to visit. They were a happy little family, and the children made Crowley smile whenever he saw them.

Madame Tracy and (retired) Sergeant Shadwell had also married, though thankfully NOT reproduced. It had taken several years of wedded bliss before Crowley had managed to forgive Shadwell for discorporating Aziraphale. He still wasn’t overly fond of the former Witchfinder, but as Aziraphale was very fond of Madame Tracy and the couple were a package deal, had agreed to his being invited to the party.

Eric (formerly the Disposable Demon) had become a Caretaker like Aziraphale and Crowley themselves. Crowley still thought fondly of the afternoon when Eric had come knocking on their door, asking for their help to get in touch with God so that he could make the request. Aziraphale had called for Her, and She had answered - undoubtedly already knowing what Eric was about to ask, but allowing him the opportunity to do so anyway. She had granted it immediately, giving him vibrant wings in shades that were a midway point between Crowley’s own dark gemstone tones and Aziraphale’s light ones. He often marched at Pride parades with his wings on full display, allowing humans to think they were an elaborate costume he’d created. He’d become the primary liaison between Heaven and Hell, and was hopeful that Dagon might join him as a Caretaker some day. They were certainly very fond of each other, but Dagon still prided themselves on their work as Lord of the Files and Master of Torments, and Crowley wasn’t sure they’d ever give that up - but stranger things had happened before and likely would again.

Crowley opened the portal door in readiness for the Tadfield contingent, and Aziraphale peeked out the front window to see if anyone else was arriving. This was spectacular timing on his part, as Warlock and Alicia had got out of their hire car, and were walking up the front path towards the house. Aziraphale threw the door wide open and called out "Hello! Welcome! Welcome! Please, do come in!” Aziraphale hugged each of them as they crossed the threshold, and Crowley followed suit as they came into the living room. Warlock beamed as he introduced them to Alicia, and it became clear very quickly that he’d hidden nothing from her. Warlock himself had demanded the truth from them years earlier, and prided himself on being honest to others - likely in response to the lies and half-truths he’d heard so often from his father. Alicia was a vibrant young woman, and Crowley suspected that she and Pepper would become fast friends when they met.

This moment occurred only a few minutes later when Adam, Pepper, Brian and Wensleydale came through the portal. Alicia turned to Warlock and asked “Why didn’t we come through that?”  
“I wanted to treat you to a proper holiday you can actually tell your parents about, for one thing. Plus I kind of wanted to waste Dad’s frequent flyer points on first class airfares as punishment for forgetting my birthday. He may not remember when I was born, but he’ll notice the change in his points balance.” Warlock answered.  
“Your adoptive Dad is almost as big a dick as my biological one.” Adam said, poking Warlock in the arm.  
“Yeah, well, my adoptive Dad will be joining your biological one in Hell some day, and serve him right. How are you doing, twin?” Warlock asked as he gave Adam one of those manly hugs with three thumps on the back.  
“Yeah, not bad, twin. Drove another lecturer mad this week with my Kraken theory.”  
“Nice! Twin, meet Alicia - Alicia, meet my birthday bud Adam - the literal antichrist who stopped Armageddon.”  
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Alicia said, smiling.

Adam then introduced Alicia to Pepper, Brian and Wensleydale, saying “These awesome people are my mates Pepper - never just Pep, she’ll thump you - Brian - the one with the Ron Weasley smudge on his nose - and Wensleydale - who dresses like a lawyer because one day he’ll be one. We’re known as the Them, and have been since we were kids - but I’m sure Warlock’s told you about us.”  
“He has,” Alicia said. “I’ve heard all about his twin-that’s-not-his-twin, the girl that kicked War’s ass, the boy who fought Pollution and is working on fighting it as a man too, and the “lawyeriest lawyer who’s not yet a lawyer” - that’s a direct quote Wensleydale, I’m so sorry.”  
The Them laughed at these descriptions, and Pepper gave Alicia a hug. “It’s nice to finally meet the girl Warlock thinks is worth bringing across the pond to meet Nanny Ashtoreth and Brother Francis!”

In the three years since Warlock had joined the team, he’d shared stories of his childhood with the Them, and Aziraphale and Crowley had added their own perspectives, so everyone knew exactly who they were to each other. They’d kept these details from the billionaires, but Anathema and Newt knew as well - and the group felt like an extended family. To be able to welcome another member to it was a joy, and Crowley was suddenly very glad that Aziraphale had suggested this party.

Anathema and Newt came through the portal as they were all sitting down to cups of tea, plainly mid-conversation as they came into the room.  
“It’s ONE NIGHT, Newt! They’re with our parents - they’ll watch the fireworks on TV and eat too much junk food, they’ll be tired and cranky tomorrow, and everything will go back to normal on the second. It will be FINE.” Anathema had obviously made this argument already and was rapidly reaching the end of her tether.  
Aziraphale stood and took her gently by the elbow, saying “Come into the kitchen, my dear and I’ll make you a cuppa.”  
Crowley stood also, and took Newt out to the garden with a gruff “I need your opinion on something.”

Once outside, Crowley turned on Newt and said “Look, I get it, being away from the kids is hard - I remember what it was like when Warlock was little and his father bothered to pay him any attention. It took him away from me, and it stung more than I ever would have admitted at the time. But you and Anathema need time away from them every now and then - it’s healthy, it’s normal, and they WILL be fine - because you trust your parents and Anathema’s mother, and because kids are always tougher than they look. They’re going to have a fun night driving their grandparents batty, and you are going to have fun here - OR ELSE!”  
Looking abashed, Newt said “You know, sometimes I still can’t believe she married me. I definitely still can’t believe she agreed to have kids with me! I’m the luckiest man alive, and I pinch myself every damn day. They’re my whole world.”  
“I know, Newt. Aziraphale has been my whole world for 6000 years, and it nearly killed me when I thought I’d lost him. But this isn’t the apocalypse, it’s a party. Unwind for a few hours. Relax! Enjoy spending some time with your wife without the kids snotting on your sleeve. Let her have some fun hanging out with actual grown-ups for a change. Alright?”  
“Yeah, alright. Thanks, Crowley.”  
“Right. Let’s go back inside.”

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Aziraphale had been braiding Anathema’s hair as she quietly sipped a cup of steaming chamomile. He’d had a lot of practice at braiding with Crowley keeping his hair long, and his deft fingers made intricate designs with her dark tresses, the gentle movements across her scalp soothing almost as much as the tea. Newt poked his head into the kitchen as Aziraphale was finishing up, and his face melted when he saw her. Aziraphale slipped silently out of the room as Newt sat opposite his wife, and gently took her hand not holding the cup. “I’m sorry. I know I need to let go a bit. I love you. More than words can say.”  
“I love you too, Newt.”  
“Your hair looks beautiful. Aziraphale should have been a stylist.”  
“Aziraphale knew I just needed some quiet time. I haven’t had a chance to do more than wash and brush my hair in months. I think he miracled my split ends as he braided.”  
“Maybe he could do your hair for you every so often? Crowley and I could take the kids to the park.”  
“That sounds wonderful. Thank you, darling.”  
They kissed, then stood and went to rejoin the others in the living room. 

Madame Tracy and (retired) Sergeant Shadwell arrived as Anathema and Newt returned, and a few minutes later, Eric arrived with Dagon and Beelzebub. After becoming a Caretaker, Eric had bought the property next door to Aziraphale and Crowley - freeing them from possibly the worst neighbours imaginable in the process. Dagon and Beelzebub had also changed in the last decade, though not as much as Eric. 

All the demons had changed to some extent, as they cared for the animals they had affinities with, and tended the environment. Many of their temptations now revolved around doing good things for selfish reasons rather than genuine evil, and it had made Hell a much more pleasant place to work. Souls doomed to eternal torment performed hard labour - cleaning first Hell itself and then the parts of Earth worst damaged by humanity. The foulest offenders worked in places such as Chernobyl, where the radioactive remnants were a torment even without a physical body.

Heaven was similarly changed under Michael’s second reign. Gone were the stark barrenness and false nicety - replaced instead with a lush paradise and genuine kindness. Angels tended the environment in ways demons could not, and cared for those animals that no demon had an affinity with. Haniel was particularly fond of the big cats, with cheetahs her favourite - the way they purred like oversized house cats had endeared them to her the moment Crowley had shown her a video on the internet. Hell had its hounds, so it seemed only fitting that Heaven be a haven for the sort of animal God Herself kept as a pet. Michael and Haniel arrived moments after the demons, completing the guest list at last.

As large as their living room was it had not been designed with accommodating 17 people simultaneously, so the party proper was to be held outside. Crowley had acquired several large outdoor heaters to keep the temperature comfortable for the humans, and Aziraphale had strung twinkle lights around the garden for lighting. Crowley had spent much of the last two days cooking, and the tables groaned with a wide variety of dishes - kept miraculously hot or cool as needed - with every guest’s favourite food included. 

After dinner they cleared the tables and sat drinking their way through an assortment of Aziraphale’s best wines. With the legal drinking age in both Canada and the UK being 18, Warlock and Alicia were as familiar with wine as the Them were - though obviously far less so than Aziraphale and Crowley, who’d been drinking it since about a month after it was invented. They were sharing a bottle (or several) of Moscato and contemplating dessert when Gabriel appeared in the backyard with a flash of lighting that singed the grass, and everyone yelped as they spilled wine on themselves.

“Look what you made us do!” Crowley yelled.  
“I didn’t ‘make’ you do anything,” Gabriel retorted.  
“What are you doing here?” Aziraphale asked.  
“Yes, Gabriel, I’d like to know that too, if you don’t mind,” said Michael.  
“I was looking for you, and I was told you were here. I thought it was one of your meetings - I wasn’t aware you were attending a party,” Gabriel explained.  
“And why were you looking for me?” Michael enquired.  
“It’s about the polar ice caps. I wanted to let you know, it’s just been confirmed - they’ve stopped shrinking. In fact, it looks like they might be getting bigger again. We can’t be sure of that yet, but they’ve definitely stopped shrinking. I know you were waiting on the report, so I thought I’d give you the good news. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”  
“The interruption is a welcome one, considering the tidings. Thank you, Gabriel.”  
“You’re welcome. I’ll leave you to enjoy your party.”

Sharing a brief exchange of glances, Aziraphale and Crowley silently agreed, and Aziraphale said “this party is as much about celebrating our successes as it is about welcoming the new year. You’ve just given us another thing to celebrate. You’d be welcome to stay, if you’d like.”  
“I wouldn’t want to impose.” Gabriel said.  
“It’s no imposition. Please. Join us.”  
“If you’re sure.”  
“We’re sure,” Crowley said, miracling the wine out of everyone’s clothes, then pouring a glass for the angel.  
“I. Uh. I don’t…”  
“Yes you do,” Michael said. “Miracle the alcohol out of it if you want to stay sober, but tonight you will do as we do. When we drink, you drink. When we eat, you eat. When we dance, you dance. When we chat, you chat. It’s high time you learn to live a little, Gabriel. All work and no play makes Jack a very dull boy - as the human saying goes.”

Gabriel hesitantly sniffed the wine Crowley had given him. It was light and fruity, and everyone seemed to be enjoying it - including Michael. He took the tiniest sip possible, and let it sit on his tongue. It was sweet. He wasn’t sure if he liked it or not, so he took a larger sip, and held it in his mouth for a moment before swallowing. It was...fine? It wasn’t bad, at least. He slowly drank the entire glass, trying to figure out how he felt about it. He still didn’t know. Everyone had gone back to their conversations as he drank, but Aziraphale had been watching this careful contemplation, and poured a glass of a deep red wine, handing it to Gabriel as he finished the moscato. “White wines aren’t everyone’s preference. Try this one next.”

Gabriel took an equally hesitant sniff of the new wine, and his eyes lit up. It had an aroma he couldn’t place but instantly liked. Taking a sip, he discovered this too was sweet, but very different to the moscato. He drank this glass more quickly than the first, and knew for certain that he liked it. Seeing the smile on Gabriel’s face, Aziraphale told him “that one is actually sacramental wine. Catholic churches use it all the time at Mass.”  
Gabriel looked shocked, and Aziraphale reassured him. “Don’t worry, it’s fine - we haven’t blessed it, Beelzebub and Dagon couldn’t drink it if we had - it’s just a nice wine that churches happen to prefer.”

Beelzebub glanced over when they heard their name, and laughed. “I like that one. I like it even more, knowing I shouldn’t be allowed to drink it.”  
Gabriel frowned, then actively chose to be kind (something he’d been practicing recently), and asked “what other wine do you like?”  
Stunned by this polite response, Beelzebub blinked at him for a moment, then said “I prefer red to white, unlezzz it izzz sparkling - I like the bubblezzz.”  
“We have champagne for the toasts later,” Aziraphale told him.  
Seeing that Gabriel had no idea what this meant, Crowley added “champagne is a type of sparkling wine - it has bubbles, as Beelzebub said. And toasts are short speeches - things to celebrate, and things we hope to celebrate in the future.”

Aziraphale poured Gabriel another glass of wine - red again, but different from the first. Anathema noticed the bottle and encouraged the angel, saying “that one’s my favourite - give it a try.”  
Gabriel sniffed the wine, less hesitantly this time, and then took a sip. It had a strong, bold flavour, and wasn’t sweet, but was somehow even better for it. He drank deeply, and Anathema put a hand up to slow him. “Careful, Gabriel. You don’t yet know how the alcohol will affect you. Just enjoy the flavours, there’s no rush.”  
He smiled at this kindness, and nodded his understanding. 

After that, he fell into the rhythm of the conversation, slowly relaxing and getting the hang of talking to everyone. He’d never spent much time with people beyond performing blessings, but everyone at the party was friendly - except perhaps Shadwell, who would better be described as civil. As the evening progressed the mood became ever more celebratory, and when Warlock decided it was time for dancing his Godfathers obliged - Aziraphale bringing out the new stereo system, and Crowley loading the playlist he’d organised in anticipation of the event. 

“OK, team song first, let’s get it out of the way,” Crowley said, and they all sang the Hogwarts theme together - even Gabriel.  
“Right, now that that’s done - dancing!”  
Next up was Queen’s Crazy Little Thing Called Love. Gabriel was astounded at the ludicrous display this elicited, until Newt sidled up to him and said “we all became fans of a TV show called Doctor Who, because there was an actor in it who’s the spitting image of Crowley. One of the other people in it dances like that at a wedding. They know they look ridiculous, but it’s fun - and if you can’t be ridiculous around your friends, you probably need new friends.”  
“I don’t know if I have friends,” Gabriel said quietly.  
“Well, maybe after tonight you will. If not these guys, then find some people you like. Angels, or humans, or whoever. You can figure it out. You’re immortal, you have forever to figure it out - if it takes that long.”  
“I... I hope it doesn’t take that long.”  
Newt grabbed Gabriel’s arm and said “come on. Let’s go be ridiculous.”

It’s been established that angels don’t generally dance, and that whilst demons do, it’s not what we’d call _good_ dancing. That however, was before angels and demons started to hang out socially with humans, and both sides started to unwind. Aziraphale still enjoyed the gavotte more than anything else, but with Crowley’s aid had of course learnt to waltz. Together they’d learnt the jive and cha-cha. Dagon and Eric had mastered the bump & grind - and looked positively sinful doing so. Michael and Haniel had learnt the waltz from Aziraphale and Crowley, and then taken lessons together - at an actual dance school - for other styles of ballroom dancing. Fortunately for Gabriel, neither Beelzebub nor the humans present danced in any of these styles, and they helped him muddle his way through “being ridiculous” as Newt had so fondly called it.

Some songs were more about singing along than dancing, and it seemed everyone but Gabriel knew The Beatles’ Revolution. He listened carefully to the lyrics, and as the song faded out, asked “why isn’t THAT the team song? It seems ideal.”  
It was one of those moments when a newcomer is better placed to see the scope of a thing, and the entire team looked at each other, stunned.  
“Why didn’t we think of that ten years ago?!” Crowley exclaimed.  
“The Revolution would have been a good team name, too,” Aziraphale added.  
Newt gave Gabriel a warm smile, and said “see. It didn’t take you long to figure it out.”  
Gabriel looked at Newt with a puzzled little frown and asked “what do you mean?”  
“That’s how you make friends. You have good ideas, you share them. You bounce ideas off each other - good, bad, weird, fun, whatever - and you listen when they’re saying something - whether it’s important or not. You just...click - you feel good together. You feel good right now, don’t you?”  
“Yes?” Gabriel said, sounding unsure of the fact.  
“If you’re not used to it it can feel a bit odd. But you’re on the right track,” Newt said encouragingly.  
“Thank you.” Gabriel said.

After dancing for some time, Aziraphale decided they needed dessert “for the energy boost”. With a variety of cakes and slices, pies and tarts, fresh fruit and cream, ice cream, chocolates and truffles, there was something for everyone - and Gabriel tried a small sample of everything. Aziraphale was impressed with his taster plate, and applauded his decision to give it a red-hot go and find out what he liked. As it turned out, what he liked best was the Death By Chocolate cake, and he went back immediately for a full slice.  
Beelzebub sidled over and said “that’zzz how I want to go, if I ever die.”  
“Sorry...what?” Gabriel asked.  
“Dizzzcorporate, whatever. Death by chocolate seemzzz like the bezzzt way to go - at leazzzt you’d go happy. And not mezzzy like defenezzztration...though I do like throwing thingzzz out of windowzzz.”  
“Throwing things out of windows can be...cathartic,” Gabriel agreed.  
“Yeet! Azzz the young folk say.”  
“We haven’t said ‘yeet!’ in about 10 years Beelz. Hate to break it to you,” Adam said as he headed back for more dessert.  
Beelzebub poked their tongue at Adam’s back, and Gabriel laughed.

When Crowley played War by Edwin Starr, Pepper sang the entire thing - with Adam, Brian and Wensleydale doing back up vocals. They’d clearly sung it together many times, and the others all joined in on the bits they knew. Even Gabriel joined in, towards the end - having finally realised that he was glad Armaggeddon had been averted, as none of this would have been possible if The War To End All Wars had gone ahead. Warlock then scream-sang Angel’s Eye by Aerosmith, which Crowley chuckled at - he was pretty sure Aziraphale had put him up to it, with his penchant for songs with any mention of angels.

When Crowley played War by Edwin Starr, Pepper sang the entire thing - with Adam, Brian and Wensleydale doing back up vocals. They’d clearly sung it together many times, and the others all joined in on the bits they knew. Even Gabriel joined in, towards the end - having finally realised that he was glad Armaggeddon had been averted, as none of this would have been possible if The War To End All Wars had gone ahead. Warlock then scream-sang Angel’s Eye by Aerosmith, which Crowley chuckled at - he was pretty sure Aziraphale had put him up to it, with his penchant for songs with any mention of angels.

Anathema sang a lovely song called You Gotta Be, by Des’ree, and Madame Tracy surprised them all by singing the chorus with her. Crowley then played a song from the soundtrack of The Greatest Showman - one of the many movies they’d watched together. He knew Aziraphale loved This Is Me by Kesha, as he sometimes sang it in the shower even now - it had become his battle-cry, shouting to the universe that he wouldn’t change who he was - because who he was was _glorious_. To Crowley’s great wonder and joy, Anathema, Newt, the Them, Warlock, Alicia, and Madame Tracy all joined Aziraphale in belting it out. Aziraphale was in tears by the end, and when Crowley gathered him in for a hug, everyone else did too - a giant 18-person scrum of a group hug, arms tangling together and twining around each other in this shared moment that a little over 10 years prior never would have happened.

At 11:30pm they sat in a circle with glasses of champagne, making toasts. Aziraphale thanked Crowley for never giving up hope that they could be together, even when things had been their most bleak.  
Crowley thanked Aziraphale for having the courage to love him in return, and for making their home his favourite place in the world to be.  
Michael thanked Aziraphale and Crowley for refusing to back down, even in the face of God Herself, and for bringing all of them together - both as a team to save the world, and for this night to celebrate it.  
Beelzebub echoed Michael’s sentiments, and then thanked Michael for being willing to put old grievances aside and work together.  
Eric thanked Aziraphale and Crowley for their help in becoming a Caretaker, and Dagon for being his closest friend, even once he was no longer a demon.  
Anathema thanked Newt for helping her to break free of being a professional descendant, and find out who she was in her own right.  
Newt thanked her for choosing him over Agnes.  
Adam thanked Pepper, Brian and Wensleydale for always standing by him.  
Pepper, Brian and Wensleydale thanked Adam for loving Dog even when he was losing his mind as the literal antichrist, and for keeping them together as they’d grown up.  
Shadwell thanked Madame Tracy for helping him to be less of a grumpy bastard, and Madame Tracy thanked him for becoming less of one.  
Warlock thanked Aziraphale and Crowley for being his Godfathers, and Alicia for coming with him to meet all of these strange and wonderful people.  
Finally, Gabriel thanked Adam for rejecting his Satanic father, enabling the past decade to happen - and Aziraphale and Crowley for making an inadvertent gatecrasher feel welcome at their party.

Then came the hopes and dreams and wishful thinking.  
Michael began with, “I hope that the polar ice-caps really are getting bigger.”  
Beelzebub countered, “I hope the reportzzz that beezzz are no longer in danger izzz right.”  
“I hope that our successes continue,” added Haniel.  
“I hope that we stay friends for the rest of our lives,” said Adam.  
“Me too,” said Pepper.  
“Me three,” added Brian.  
“And me,” said Wensleydale.

“I hope that the children go to bed right after the fireworks and aren’t too cranky tomorrow,” said Newt - possibly the least realistic one so far.  
“I hope that Deanna and Thomas grow up having friends as wonderful as the Them,” said Anathema, gently digging her husband in the ribs with her elbow.  
Newt smiled at her and said, “alright, yeah, that’s a better one.”  
“I hope that I remembered to turn off the stove,” said Shadwell.  
Madame Tracy laughed and told him, “you didn’t, but I checked it before we left, so Shangri-La will still be there tomorrow. I hope that we have many more years together to share it.”

Eric went next, saying “I hope that one day Dagon will join me here on Earth as a Caretaker.” He’d told Aziraphale and Crowley of this hope previously, but never Dagon. The demon looked at him, and said “I hope that you’ll forgive me that I can’t...at least...not yet.”  
“I do forgive you. I’m still going to hold onto my hope that one day you will, though.”  
“I can’t promise I will, but I promise that if I do, you’ll be the first to know.”  
“That’s good enough for me.”

“I hope that the love of my life will marry me,” said Warlock, turning to face Alicia with a ring looped over the top of one index finger. Alicia’s eyes had been half-closed as she listened to everyone else, but at this they flew wide open. She looked at the ring - a simple white-gold band with a small solitaire diamond, delicate and perfectly suited for her slender fingers.  
“Yes! Of course I will!” she cried, grabbing Warlock’s face in her hands and kissing him. He slid the ring onto her finger, and kissed her right back.  
Shadwell muttered something that sounded very much like “bit young”, but Madame Tracy shushed him and said “when you know, you know.”  
“I know,” said Warlock confidently, gazing at his now-fiancée.

“I hope that you’ll let me join your team, and have more wonderful times like this,” said Gabriel quietly, looking at his own hands, clasped together in his lap.  
“The more the merrier,” answered Aziraphale.  
“You’ve changed for the better, Gabriel. You’re welcome to join us,” Crowley added.  
“I agree,” said Michael.  
“You’re not completely inzzzufferable now. I suppozzze I can work with you,” said Beelzebub, ever the diplomat.  
“Maybe you could host the next party,” suggested Newt.  
“I’m not sure I’m ready for that,” said Gabriel. “I think I need to go to a few more before I can host one.”

After a moment, Aziraphale said “I hope that in another ten years we can all come back here and say the world is definitely saved, and safe.”  
“I hope that my husband doesn’t kill me when I tell him we’re going to be parents,” said Crowley.  
All eyes swung to Aziraphale as he screeched, “WHAT?!”  
“They’re snakes, Angel. The wildlife sanctuary was looking for someone to foster three baby snakes, and I said we would.”  
“You...what?”  
“We’re going to foster three baby snakes until they’re big enough to live in a zoo, and then they’ll go live in a zoo. I was thinking if it goes well we could maybe do it again - make it a regular thing.”  
“We’re having snake babies?”  
“Well, I am the Serpent of Eden. It seemed fitting.”  
Everyone laughed at this except Aziraphale, who looked like he might pass out.

It was now 11:55pm, so they all refilled their glasses with champagne, ready for the fireworks at midnight. Crowley held Aziraphale’s hand, twining their fingers, and pressing their foreheads together as he apologised for springing the news on him the way he had. Aziraphale forgave him of course, but called him a “wily old serpent” as he did so, falling back into the old descriptor he’d used when they were adversaries and friends.

At 11:58 Gabriel noticed that everyone was partnering up - Aziraphale with Crowley, Michael with Haniel, Eric with Dagon, Anathema and Newt, Shadwell and Madame Tracy, Warlock and Alicia - even Adam with Pepper, and Brian with Wensleydale. That just left himself and Beelzebub, so assuming the pairing off meant something but having no clue what, he stood next to them and waited.

At midnight they all cheered “HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!”, and each of the couples kissed. The married and engaged couples were all very passionate. Michael and Haniel were more modest, but clearly fond of one another - and equally clearly it wasn’t their first kiss. Dagon kissed Eric in a way which suggested that - even if they didn’t become a Caretaker - they very much wanted to be in a relationship with one. Pepper kissed Adam with enough fire to indicate they wouldn’t be staying “just friends” if she had any say in the matter, and Brian placed a gentle kiss on Wensleydale’s lips that hinted at feelings he hadn’t yet said aloud. Surrounded on all sides by kissing, Gabriel grabbed Beelzebub’s arm, pulled them close, and kissed them full on the lips.

The sky was lit with fireworks not made by human hands - Aziraphale had created a light show to remember, with all of the animals their efforts had saved racing each other across the stars - but the only stars Gabriel saw were the ones in his head as Beelzebub slapped him hard across the face, shouting “what the HEAVEN wazzz that?!”  
“It seems to be a new year tradition, apparently,” he answered as he waved his hands to indicate what all the other couples had done.  
“Well, do it properly then!” they demanded.  
Gabriel attempted to kiss Beelzebub again, but only succeeded in bashing their noses together hard enough that he saw stars for the second time in less than a minute.  
“Haven’t you ever kizzzed anyone before?” Beelzebub sneered.  
Blushing furiously, Gabriel stammered, “uh, no...I..uh...I haven’t, actually.”  
“You’re older than time itzzzelf, and you’ve never kizzzed anyone?”  
“Not until I just attempted it then, no.”  
“How ridiculouzzz! You need to learn!” they said loudly, then whispering into Gabriel’s ear, added “meet me under the willow tree at the bottom of the yard in five minutezzz,” and stormed off, heading for the opposite end of the yard as though they needed to get away from such incompetence.

Gabriel stood there, stunned. His first attempt at kissing someone had been an utter disaster, and now Beelzebub expected him to meet them under the willow - for what? Kissing lessons? Discorporation? He hoped it was kissing lessons, not some sort of torment. Newt came over and tried valiantly to comfort him.  
“Gabriel, honestly, don’t worry about it. We’ve all had an awkward first kiss at some point in our lives, these things happen. Beelzebub was wrong about it being ridiculous, but right about you needing to learn. You just have to find someone you trust, and get some practice. I was hopeless when Anathema kissed me the first time.”  
“Thank you, Newt. I think I need to get away for a few minutes. I might just go for a walk around the garden. I haven’t looked at any of it yet, and I know how proud Aziraphale is of Crowley’s efforts. Please excuse me.”

Gabriel walked away, leaving Newt to worry about the angel. He walked around the edge of the garden, looking at the various trees and shrubs growing there, and gradually made his way towards the willow tree - trying not to make it obvious that it was his destination. When he finally reached it, he parted the hanging branches with one hand, and ducked into the private space they created. He leaned against the trunk, looking around, wondering which direction Beelzebub might come from, and repeating their last words to him over and over in his head. _"Meet me under the willow tree in five minutezzz…"_ Why was five minutes taking so bloody long?

Newt looked at Gabriel as he walked away, and hoped he’d be alright. He’d already had one heck of a night - accidentally gatecrashing a party, trying wine, food, and dancing for the first time, then attempting a first kiss at midnight on New Year’s in front of 16 other people...he was braver than most, you had to give him credit for that. Anathema came over and stood where Gabriel had been moments earlier, and put her arms around him. He turned in her embrace, and kissed his wife, whose hair was still in the intricate braids Aziraphale had done for her hours earlier. “I love you,” he said.  
“I love you too,” she replied. “Come back to the party with me?”  
“Of course.”

They rejoined the rest of the group, and chatted easily once again about the successes they’d had, the tasks they were still working on, and their lives in general. After about half an hour, Newt grew worried again - they hadn’t seen either Beelzebub or Gabriel in quite a while, and he was concerned they might have come to blows over the kissing incident. He gave Anathema a kiss on the cheek and said he’d be right back, then walked down to the willow, where he’d last seen Gabriel. A few minutes later he returned and said he’d found them - they’d made their peace, and would be up shortly. 

Sure enough, it was only a handful of minutes until they returned, and Newt was able to relax fully once more. Several hours later, as the barest hint of dawn started to pink the horizon, they made their farewells. Madame Tracy and Shadwell used the portal to return to Shangri-La, where Crowley had set up a temporary connection. Anathema and Newt went next to Jasmine Cottage, followed by Adam, Pepper, Brian and Wensleydale. Michael and Haniel left in a flash of light, whilst Eric and Dagon walked next door. Warlock and Alicia headed inside, as they were staying for a couple of days. Beelzebub was second last to go, and gave Gabriel a look that Aziraphale and Crowley recognised but pretended not to. Gabriel was the last to leave - he thanked them very much for making him feel so welcome despite a lack of invitation, and asked them to let him know when the next meeting of The Revolution was planned, before leaving in his usual flash of lightning.

Aziraphale and Crowley then miracled the yard back to normal, and went inside their home - at peace with the world, themselves, and each other. At least, until the baby snakes arrived - then it was chaos!

**Footnote: **  
*Crowley still hated the name, but it had stuck. [return to text]

**Author's Note:**

> **Songs:**  
[War](https://youtu.be/dQHUAJTZqF0) \- Edwin Starr  
[Crazy Little Thing Called Love](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO6D_BAuYCI) \- Queen  
[Revolution](https://youtu.be/AFckPkukF7g) \- The Beatles  
[Angel's Eye](https://youtu.be/HrEO0MpCLcQ) \- Aerosmith  
[You Gotta Be](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRUwSk9UTrA) \- Des'ree  
[This Is Me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwDTzD75fT4) \- Kesha


End file.
